My First BMW - The Car That Changed my Life
/by Greg Uhler
member-content@sdbmwcca.com
Cars I Could “A Ford”
The test drive was going well. The car seemed like a perfect fit for me, being just out of college. My first BMW would be a hatchback, have decent gas mileage, have 2-door sporty styling, and that BMW feel I’d been longing for. Just one thing kept nagging me… where was the POWER? Coming from a Mustang 5.0, I’d become addicted to power just a pedal-push away. As we pulled back into the Crevier BMW parking lot, I wasn’t sure the 318Ti was the perfect car for me.
The salesman’s next four words changed my life.
“Just park over there,” he said with a slight smile, pointing to a row of empty parking spots. Empty except for one strategically placed BMW. There it was. The car I’d drooled over in magazines for the last year. The car I’d never even considered because it was too much—more than I needed, even more than I was looking to spend, and much more than I dreamed I could ever own. Yet, like magic, there it was before my eyes. The BMW M3.
“Oh, would you like to drive it?” he asked offhand. O…M…G! I had never felt anything like this. The car was so capable - power, handing, braking, all in concert with each other. Everything seemed designed to give feedback to the driver. Feel the steering wheel getting heavier in the corners? The slight rumble through the seat as the rear tires break traction when you punch it? I was in awe. The driving experience was so other-worldly. And coming from the world of Hondas and Fords, BMW’s interior materials and quality was stunning—like going from a Timex to a Rolex. I just knew I had to find a way to make this car mine.
Well, not this car exactly. The M3 I test-drove was white with black interior and had the Luxury package’s wood trim. Looked more like a car my dad would drive clients around in than the sports car I had in mind. Magically, a brochure appeared in my hand. Like a siren calling my name, the glossy picture of an “Avus Blue” M3 held me entranced. Unfortunately, the dealer didn’t have an M3 in blue. So I left with dreams of an M3 in my head.
An Investment in Happiness
Fortunately, a few days later, I located a dealer in San Diego with an Avus Blue M3. Seeing it in person, I absolutely LOVED the color, but this particular example had the same black interior with wood trim of my test-drive car. So I called my salesman at Crevier, who promised to look for a blue car, grey interior, and no luxury package. He soon called back and said he could do a dealer trade and get the color combo I wanted within the week. This sh&t just got real!!!
That Saturday I got a ride up to Crevier for delivery of my M3. It was up on a lift getting its final checks. As they lowered the car I finally got to see the interior. “THAT’S GREY?!?” I exclaimed. The seats looked practically white to me. Apparently, the brochure’s pictures of the interior were somewhat darker than reality. I liked the interior enough to still buy the car, but thoughts of keeping it clean would forever haunt me.
Looking back now, over 25 years later, that incredible M3 and the BMWs that followed have been the best investment I’ve ever made—paying dividends of friends, adventure, and happiness every day since 1995.
